Refugee Who Moved From Malta To USA Killed In Mass Shooting: ‘It Was His Only Day Off Work’
An Eritrean refugee who moved from Malta to the United States three years ago has been confirmed as one of the victims of a mass shooting outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio.
Saeed Saleh, 38, had fled Eritrea and spent time in Sudan and Libya before arriving in Malta, the Washington Post has reported. He moved to the USA in 2016 with his wife and daughter, possible under a refugee resettlement programme that used to exist between Malta and the USA.
Saleh’s wife Zaid Eseyas Nuguse said her husband was devoted to their five-year-old daughter, Randa and that he would spend his free time playing games, watching TV and taking walks in the park with her.
A vigil outside the bar in Dayton (Photo: Insider)
Tekeste Abraham, who belongs to Dayton’s Eritrean community, said Saleh used to work seven days a week, often 12 to 16 hours at a time, to support his wife and daughter as well as two other children in Eritrea and a brother in Egypt.
Abraham told The Post that Saleh rarely took a day off work and that it was rare for him to spend his Saturday night hanging out at a bar with a friend.
“This was the one day he took off, and this happened,” he said.
Saleh’s story was shared by Spark15, a Maltese NGO for youth refugees.
https://www.facebook.com/spark15/photos/a.1125904674129198/2520016604717991/?type=3&theater
The mass shooting took place on 4th August at the entrance of a bar in Dayton, a mere 13 hours after another mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
The shooter, 24-year-old Connor Betts, killed nine people, including his own sister and injured several others before he was himself shot dead by police some 30 seconds after the first shots were fired.
Cover photo: A woman mourns outside the bar in Dayton (Photo: Wall Street Journal)
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